HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball begins their conference schedule with a pair of matchups against Horizon League newcomer Robert Morris on December 12 and 13. Both games are slated for 2:00 p.m. starts and will air on ESPN+.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (0-4 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
Robert Morris Colonials (0-0 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
Saturday, Dec. 12 – 2:00 p.m. (ET)
Sunday, Dec. 3 – 2:00 p.m. (ET)
Highland Heights, Ky. | BB&T Arena (8,427)
TV: ESPN+  (Game 1) (Game 2)
Saturday: Brady Laber (pxp) | Rich Hoyt (Color)
Sunday: Jack Kizer (pxp) | Rich Hoyt (Color)
Stats: Live Stats

 
Fast Break Points 
• NKU fell to No. 19 Ohio State on Sunday, 96-63.
• Lindsey Duvall posted her second-straight double-double with 12 points and 10 boards.
• Through two games this season, NKU is outrebounding its opponents by 7.5 boards per game (38.0-31.3 rpg). That margin ranks 61st-best in the nation.
• NKU begins conference play this weekend against Robert Morris. Both games this weekend were originally scheduled against Youngstown State, but were rescheduled due to COVID-19 related matters in the Penguins' program.
• NKU is 3-1 all-time against Robert Morris, with the last meeting being a 59-50 victory for the Colonials at BB&T Arena on November 21, 2017.
• NKU is coming off of its first 20-win season during the DI era. The Norse went 6-5 in the nonconference before posting a 12-6 mark in League play and going 2-1 in the Horizon League Championship.
• NKU steamrolled both Detroit Mercy and Milwaukee in the opening two rounds of the Horizon League Championship. The Norse held two leads in the final minute, but ultimately fell short of Green Bay by one point in the semifinals.
• The Norse return quite a bit of experience, losing only three players from last year's squad. NKU welcomes back approximately 76 percent of its minutes played and 73 percent of its scoring.
• The Norse were picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Junior guard Duvall has been active and impactful early in her Norse tenure. She registered her first and second career double-doubles in back-to-back games against Bowling Green (10 points, career-high 14 rebounds) and No. 19 Ohio State (12 points, 10 rebounds)
• Duvall has reached double figures in all four games and is averaging a team-high 11.3 ppg.
• Junior guard Ally Niece, who is coming off a sophomore campaign in which she was named to both the all-tournament and all-league second teams, earned a spot on the All-Horizon League Preseason First Team.
• Niece is averaging 8.8 ppg in the young 2020-21 season.
• Senior forward Kailey Coffey has played in 96 games with 95 starts during a Norse career in which she has moved into 12th all-time at NKU with 697 rebounds. Her next start will put her alone at 14th all-time in the Norse record-books.
• Junior forward Emmy Souder started all 32 games as a sophomore. She was third on the team in scoring at 8.8 ppg and second in rebounding at 5.4 rpg.
• She is averaging 3.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game so far this year.
• Sophomore guard Ivy Turner joined Souder in the starting rotation every game last year. Turner contributed 8.3 ppg for NKU and was second on the team with 66 dimes.
• Turner is scoring at an 9.3 ppg clip this year.
• Sophomore guard Carissa Garcia averaged 7.3 ppg as a freshman, but has upped that average to 8.8 ppg so far this year, second best on the team.
• Five newcomers join the squad this season, including Louisville transfer junior guard Duvall as well as freshmen guard Kennedy Igo, center Emma Palmer, center Christyan Reid and  guard/wing Ellie Taylor.
 
Last Time Out
NKU dropped a 96-63 decision to Ohio State on Sunday. After battling the Buckeyes early, OSU pulled ahead by double-figures with a 10-0 run near the end of the first quarter. Duvall posted her second-consecutive double-double performance with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Turner was the only other Norse in double-figures with 11 points to go along with five rebounds. Garcia helped out in each category, scoring six points, grabbing three rebounds and matching her career-high of five assists.
 
Scouting Robert Morris
The Colonials will open their season with a pair of games against the Norse, making their Horizon League debut. RMU was tabbed to finish just behind the Norse in the fifth spot in this season's preseason poll. Robert Morris has been on a tear before joining the Horizon League, winning a pair of Northeast Conference (NEC) tournament-titles and four regular-season titles since the 2016-17 season.
 
The Colonials return five players who started 15 or more games from a year ago. Isabella Posset, a junior, leads that pack. She scored 7.9 points, hauled in 3.3 rebounds and dished 1.8 assists per game last season.
 
Series Stuff
NKU is 3-1 against Robert Morris all-time. The Colonials defeated the Norse, 59-50 in their last matchup on November 21, 2017 in BB&T Arena.